Koh Kred is a small, man-made island on the mighty Chao Phraya river in neighboring Nonthaburi province. It was created in the 18th century by one of the kings of Ayutthaya to shorten the route from Ayutthaya to the Gulf of Thailand along the Chao Phraya River.
We went on to Koh Kred on Children’s Day because my friend Sacha had the day off (she teaches English at a primary school). Thailand has Father’s Day on the king’s birthday and Mother’s Day on the queen’s birthday. Children’s day is always on the second Saturday after the new year in January. It was on this trip that I met one of Sacha’s friends, Mai. Jeremy also came along. We caught a mini-van that took us to Nonthaburi and from there, took a boat across the river to the island and set about exploring it. The island is home to a small community of ethnic Mons who are known for their distinctive clay pottery. We visited their kilns and workshops and even picked up a few pots to take home with us. Usually, visitors can watch a daily cultural show that involves firing some clayware as well as a cooking demonstration, but as it was a holiday, there were no shows that day.
We wrapped up our shopping on Koh Kred and headed back to Bangkok. It was nearing 7pm by the time we got back into the city and I suggested that we go check out a restaurant that one of my Thai teachers told me about – Larb Lang Suan (Park Side Salad). The name doesn’t translate particularly beautifully, but I had heard such good things about it that I just HAD to try it. And when else would I do this besides when I’m with a Thai person who can figure things out. So this particular restaurant specializes in Isaan food (the NE of Thailand), which I’m quickly learning to love – also Mai’s home province of Surin is part of Isaan.
Still, all my expectations were dashed to pieces because the first thing we learned upon going about the ordering process was that they were out of sticky rice, but that they had regular jasmine rice. And that they only had half a roasted chicken left to go with our papaya salad. SACRILEGE!! Mai and I gasped. Jeremy and Sacha were like, “what? WHAT??” So an Isaan restaurant without sticky rice and roast chicken is like an Italian restaurant that has run out of red sauce for pasta or mozzarella cheese for pizza or like a Starbucks that has run out of regular cow’s milk or espresso roast. Anyway, much to my chagrin, our experience at Larb Lang Suan was less than stellar…and poor Sacha was looking forward to sticky rice all day ~
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